The European Grand Prix is at the Nurburgring this weekend. Sadly not the classic, fearsome Nurburgring Nordschleife – surely top of any F1 fan’s list of tracks they’d like to see return to the F1 calendar.

It got me thinking at which old tracks should be put back on the calendar – ignoring the cost and difficulty of making them safe enough (which, for the Nordschleife, would be gigantic).

Here’s a few of my picks:

Long Beach – A stunning street circuit, especially in its original form with dauntingly steep changes in gradient.

Pescara – A flowing road course through the Italian countryside.

Clermont-Ferrand – A tortuously sinuous course that hosted the French Grand Prix.

Buenos Aires No. 15 – The longer version of the Buenos Aires circuit with two gigantic straights and a series of massively fast corners plus a tight infield.

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – In the heart of Mexico City, with a long straight, a slowing series of fast corners, and the terrifying 180-degree Peraltada.

So what track would you pick? There’s just one condition – it can’t be the Nurburgring. That’s a given.

29 comments on Debate: Bring back which track?

I was always curious about Lauda’s fascination and respect for the old Interlagos. I would like to see that circuit.
And yes, I agree with the others about Hockenheim. This great track was destroyed-for no real reason at all-right in front of all of us!

Silverstone is, for me, unique because it is both the best ‘old’ track (before the early ’90s redesign) and the best current track. Worst track? Indianapolis (the F1 layout) by a country mile. I’m not at all sorry it’s gone, but the calendar desperately needs a USA GP. Either Long Beach or Watkins Glen – even both – would make for the perfect replacement. Please?

old looping from buenos aires still exists, google earth is a good tool to see tracks and remains of previous track sections, but the key f1 tracks with sizeable remains from previous track layouts are as follows: interlagos, buenos aires, nurburgring, spa, avus, street circuits obviously, a-1 ring still has hella licht chicane and the straight up to the old 2nd curve existing, monza banking naturally and silverstone has a few parts all over the place too. mexico city hermanos has several sections that were cut intact also.

I think since the satellite photography was taken for Google Earth (which is several years old in places – try to find the Shanghai International Circuit!) a power station has been built on the site of the old fast loop. I hope I’m wrong…

Ok im going to go a bit squiffy here, as im not going to mention a formula 1 track, but a formula 3000 track.

Birmingham

Yes, the center of the Midlands had a formula 3000 STREET track, called Birmingham Super Prix, which also included the BTCC touring car championships and Porsche series amongst others.

It still is the only street course to have been established on the British mainland, and is still (to my knowledge) the only place in the UK where street racing is legalised for 2 days a year as part of an event (although the event does not take effect nowdays), under the Birmingham Road Race Bill.

1. Old Monza, before the chicanes but after the parabolica was built – the on with only 5 changes of direction.
2. Nurburgring Nordschleife
3. Old Imola (pre Senna accident)
4. Old Hockenheim
5. Jarama
6. Old Spa

I also accept the imola track instead of the US GP, but the Tamburello has to have a wide run-off area, in order to prevent more tragedies like the one that happened in 1994, when the greatest driver of all time died there.

This calendar has a mix of old, legendary circuits and thw good new ones. but of course, these old ones would have to be made more safe, with only its layout left unchanged.

MR ECCLESTONE!! YOU SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT WE FANS SAY!! F1 EXISTS ALSO FOR THE SHOW IT PRESENTS TO THE PUBLIC, SO MAKE IT MORE APPEALING FOR US!